Mounting a Coordinator Assault! (Japanese: ヒカリ！コンテストデビュー！！Hikari! Contest Debut!!) is the 11th episode of the Diamond & Pearl series, and the 477th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on December 7, 2006 and in the USA on June 20, 2007.

Contents

Blurb

Dawn's mother Johanna has sent her a special outfit to wear for her first Pokémon Contest, which is just a day away! While Dawn tries on out her new Contest outfit, she meets another Coordinator, Zoey, who has a Glameow. Then Dawn is due for some friendly training with Ash and Pikachu, and Dawn's Piplup looks good until Ash's Aipom interrupts the battle to show off its moves. It seems that Aipom doesn't want to watch a Contest, it wants to be in one! So for Aipom's sake, Ash decides he'll enter the Contest too.

As Ash soon finds out, not only do Coordinators in Sinnoh like to dress up for their Contests, they use some special effects as well. In Sinnoh Pokémon Contests, each Pokémon's Poké Ball is put into a Ball Capsule and decorated with seals that create quite a showy entrance! Ash and Dawn aren't the only ones hoping to make a big entrance in the Jubelife Contest; Team Rocket is around, and Jessie has her sights set on a big victory while James and Meowth have settled on starting a seal-selling scam.

As the Contest begins, Dawn is backstage trying to fix her hair. Zoey shows up to help her out and as the two Coordinators talk, Dawn learns that Zoey already has her first Contest Ribbon. Zoey also has a Misdreavus which she shows off in the first round with some spectacular moves. Jessie borrows James' Carnivine to make her Sinnoh debut as Jessilina, and Ash and Dawn pull off their first round appeals without a hitch. All four Coordinators—well, three Coordinators and one Trainer—will move on to the next round!

Plot

The episode opens showing the Contest Hall and Pokémon Center in Jubilife City. Inside the Pokémon Center Dawn shows off her new dress to Ash, Brock and Pikachu, while her mother is on the video phone. Dawn thanks Johanna, who reveals that she is missing the matching choker. A Glameow comes up to the group and Ash scans it with his Pokédex, before Johanna notices that it has Dawn's choker on its tail. The Glameow's Trainer walks up and tells Dawn that she found the choker in the dressing room and that Dawn was the only one wearing anything that would go with it. Dawn thanks Zoey, before turning to tell Johanna not to worry, which, of course, makes her worry more. Dawn then notices that Zoey is gone.

On a practice battle field outside, Dawn and Piplup square off against Ash and Pikachu. Ash starts the battle with Pikachu using Quick Attack, which Dawn counters with BubbleBeam. Pikachu stops and dodges, before deflecting it with Iron Tail. Dawn then tells Piplup to use Peck and Piplup's beak glows, before extending, which surprises Ash. Dawn tells him that they have been practicing storing energy for Peck. Piplup then charges for Pikachu. Ash calls for an Iron Tail, but before the attacks can connect, Aipom jumps in front of Pikachu and uses Focus Punch, knocking Piplup back. Everyone is surprised, and when Ash asks Aipom why she jumped in, Aipom uses Double Team, before jumping between them and using Swift to create a large glowing star and then lands on her tail. Brock suggests that Aipom might want to compete in the Contest, which Aipom confirms. Dawn suggests that Ash enters the Contest, but he is reluctant until Aipom and Pikachu convince him to. Brock then remind them that they need to enter the Contest before they start training, and Dawn realizes that she had forgotten to enter as well.

Both run up to the entry desk and are told to put their Pokédexes into the slots in front of them. Their details come up on the screen, and their Contest Passes come out of a slot near their Pokédex slot. They are also given a Ribbon case, rule book, Ball Capsule and Seals. When Ash and Brock wonder aloud what the Seals are for, Dawn is surprised that they don't know, and then shows them how they work with a heart Seal on Piplup's Ball.

Outside the Contest Hall Jessie is standing in her "Jessilina" disguise: an orange dress, pigtails, and yellow and red glasses. She is talking about how she will win the Contest. However, only Wobbuffet is listening. James is complaining that they are broke, while Meowth and Mime Jr. stick Seals onto Carnivine's face. Jessie angrily snatches away the Seals, explaining that they go on the Ball Capsules, not the Pokémon. James then realizes that they could make money from selling fake Seals.

At the Pokémon Center that night Dawn is unable to sleep. She walks out onto the balcony of their room and calls out Piplup and Buneary, who both yawn. Dawn comments how nice the city looks at night, so Piplup and Buneary run over to the edge of the balcony to see for themselves. Dawn then talks to them about the Contest the next day. Dawn then shows them the Ribbon that Johanna gave her, telling them that it was the first Ribbon that Johanna won. She then tells them that she wants to show everyone how special they are.

The next day James and Meowth are selling fake Seals outside the Contest Hall, and then watch on TV as the Contest starts, with Marian talking about the Contest. Brock tells Ash that he can't find Dawn anywhere, so Ash runs off to find her. In the changing room, Dawn is struggling with her hair, when Zoey walks up and helps her. Dawn introduces herself, and asks Zoey about her Contests. Zoey says that she has entered three and won one. She then gives Dawn her Ribbon case and Dawn admires her Ribbon. Dawn tells Zoey how she is going to win, so Zoey replies that they will meet in the finals. Dawn is initially surprised that Zoey believes her, but keeps it to herself.

While Marian shows the Ribbon for winning the Contest to the crowd, Ash and Dawn meet up in the corridors outside the changing room, and both run off to the Contestants' waiting room. Marian introduces the three usual Judges and Dawn is worried as she can't see Zoey anywhere. However, Marian then introduces Zoey as the first Contestant. Zoey calls out her Misdreavus, which appears in the middle of a cloud from a smoke Seal. Its silhouette can be seen as Zoey tells it to use Double Team, before dispersing the doubles and the smoke with Confuse Ray. Dawn checks Misdreavus on her Pokédex, before Zoey finishes the appeal with Misdreavus using Shock Wave to create large waves of electricity spreading outwards towards the edge of the Hall. Some still pictures of the next few Contestants' Pokémon are shown.

Outside the Contest Hall James and Meowth are approached by a crowd of angry people with their fake Seals, and so they run off into the distance. Inside the Contest Hall, it is Jessie's turn. She calls out Carnivine, which appears from behind her with a heart Seal. Jessie throws her 'lollipop', which splits into many smaller ones, before Carnivine breaks them all with Bullet Seed. Jessie the tells it to use Bite, and it does. . . on her head. Jessie panics at first before playing along with it. Ash and Dawn remark that she is dedicated.

Ash is next. He calls out Aipom, which then uses Swift to break the stars from the star Seal on her Poké Ball. Then she uses Double Team, before using a spinning Focus Punch to hit all the doubles. She finishes by landing on her tail.

Dawn is called to do her appeal. Zoey wishes her good luck and Ash and Dawn exchange a high five as they walk past each other in the corridor to behind the stage. When the curtain rises, Dawn is initially nervous but gets her act together and calls out Piplup. Piplup uses BubbleBeam to keep the bubbles from the Seal suspended in the air, before storing up energy for a Peck, and then using Peck to pop all the bubbles. Johanna, who is watching on TV, comments that it wasn't bad.

Ash and Brock then congratulate Dawn, who says she is relieved it is over. Zoey reminds Dawn that it is too early to be relieved, as they are going to meet in the finals. Ash, Dawn, Zoey and Jessie all look on expectantly as the results are about to be announced. . .